Fixed bridgework which has been meticulously crafted and which conforms to well known functional principles can fail for various reasons. Not even the most skillful operators can avoid an occasional failure regardless of the care extended and the consideration given to anticipated problems. When failures occur, they are a source of both consternation and frustration. For example, a soldered joint may fail thereby jeopardizing the utility and value of an entire dental bridge. The resulting cost of correcting the problem must be measured not only in monetary terms but also in terms of trauma to the dental patient, and the time involved for all parties concerned.
When it becomes necessary to remove a well placed dental bridge, the task of removing the prosthesis intact can be extremely difficult. Past methods can be destructive to the prosthesis and have often resulted in the deformation of metal and/or the chipping of porcelain. Furthermore, excessive stress can be placed on the periodontium thereby resulting in some injury to the dental patient. In cases, for example, where two abutments are involved, the dentist is often forced to cut the retainers.
A primary object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved instrument which assists to avoid or at least minimize such problems heretofore associated with the removal of dental bridgework, and which simplifies and eases the process of such removal for both the dentist and his patient.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an instrument for the removal of dental bridgework which may be used to remove a variety of dental bridge configurations.